Lead Reliability Maintenance Technician

As our Lead Reliability Maintenance Technician, you’ll play a key part in looking after the mechanical or electrical and instrumentation equipment across our production sites. While you'll still get to do the specialised technical work that keeps our assets running reliably, you’ll also step up as a trusted mentor and the go-to person for the team. Ultimately, you’ll be the bridge between day-to-day tasks and bigger-picture operations, helping everyone work safely and deliver great results.

Main responsibilities:

• Perform complex mechanical or E&I planned maintenance activities and first-line remedial work in accordance with the organisational strategy.
• Provide 'over-the-shoulder' coaching and technical mentorship to the maintenance team.
• Act as the first point of escalation for technicians regarding technical challenges on-site.
• Issue Permits to Work, lead Confined Space Entries, and ensure all technicians adhere to safe systems of work.
• Conduct regular 121 meetings, support team wellbeing, and identify training needs in collaboration with the Reliability Maintenance Manager.
• Review and approve team timesheets, audit H&S compliance, and ensure accurate updates to business management systems (e.g., Maximo).
• Authorise annual leave, record absences and manage the procurement of PPE and uniforms.
• Communicate progress and asset reliability trends to the Reliability Maintenance Manager and work with Schedulers/Planners to update weekly work plans.

You’ll need:

• Qualified to C&G or equivalent in the electrical field and fully compliant with Wiring Regulations (BS7671).
• For Mechanical Focus: Qualified to C&G or equivalent vocational level in the mechanical field.
• Good standard of secondary education and able to demonstrate a good standard of numeracy and literacy skills.
• National Water Hygiene (provided by the business).
• Ability to diagnose mechanical/electrical failures in assets such as pumps, valves and control systems.
• Ability to use electronic work management systems for logging work, viewing schematics and interacting with PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or SCADA systems to monitor site operations and adjust parameters.
• Ability to clearly report complex technical issues to management and work effectively with external contractors and team members.
• Ability to develop trust within a team and share knowledge to upskill others.
• Ability to present clear technical justifications to stakeholders and management.
• Willingness to take responsibility for the team’s combined output and quality rather than just personal results.
• Experience in the utilities/infrastructure industry (preferably the water industry).
• An appropriate level of experience in the mechanical/electrical maintenance of water specific production site assets.

Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities. The nature of our business is such that the contents of any job profile are subject to change from time to time.

We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for. We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package:

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

What can you expect from your recruitment?

To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career’s website. It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water. Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been looking for, apply now!

South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.

Compensation package: up to £47,672 p.a. (dependent on experience)